Sakura
by kei12
Summary: What if, long ago in the Silver Millenium, Sailor Pluto hadn't always been a loner?


_// S a k u r a //_

  
  
I was alone, alone for thousands of years, sometimes I think that I can not stand anymore of the silence, the lonliness. I live in a dimesion void of life, it was not my choice, but even though I was forced to live a life that I so dreaded, I am still happy, I still have hope to be freed from this prison because of one person. I am Sailor Pluto, daughter of Chronos, Guardian of the Gate of Time, my only companion is myself and a friend...

Thirteen, an unlucky number to most, but to me, it is more than unlucky. I was thirteen when I assumed my position in the Gates of Time, I was thirteen when the life that I had lived so peacefully had ended. But with all these unhappy moments when I was thirteen, there was one bright spot, a girl, about the same age as me, and her name was Sakura.

I never had a close friend. I was always, a loner, a person, who to some were emotionless, some people even say I have a cold heart. But Sakura knows otherwise. I still remember the day I met her the first time, in the Silver Millenium...

It was an ordinary day, the Moon Kingdom was as lively as ever, a royal ball was about to happen and the residents were very excited about it. It wasn't an ordinary ball, it was the ball when the Sailor Senshis will be made public, thier names will forever be etched in history. 

I still laugh at that thought thru this day, yes our names will be etched in history, but in a very different way than we expected. But still, the royals and commoners were equally excited to meet the Sailor Senshis for the first time.

But I wasn't excited at all, I already know the other Sailor Senshis, Mercury, is an intelligent but rather shy princess from said planet, Venus was a beautiful blond haired princess, Mars was a fiesty and determined fighter while Jupiter is a princess, good in combat. Those four including, the Princess Serenity herself are the Inner Senshis. I was one of the Outer Senshis, the first one was Saturn but suprisingly, we didn't meet her yet. The next are Uranus and Neptune who are very close friends and I Pluto, alone, with a special task to serve, to guard the Gates of Time.

I look at it now and laughed, how I dreaded this Gate, the same gate that imprisoned me for thousands of years. I had sworn to protect it, and I almost prayed everyday, that at least someone will enter the Gates, I was even happy when an enemy came, the fight breaks the monotonous silence, that I had so dreaded.

Sakura. It was that day, the ball was about to begin, yet Saturn is not yet here. The others were excited about her arrival, especially the Inners, the Outers, us were not more inept. I looked around, the Outer Senshis, we were always a mystery to the others, we hardly ever talk and we seem cold and emotionless, but we know better. We are more powerful than the Inner Senshis and yet, we aren't that much looked upon, the Inner Senshis are always getting attention, while the three of us just sit quietly, unattended, uncaring.

A sound of a trumpet, Saturn is already here. The Inner Senshis eagerly looked at the future Senshi of Saturn, they didn't know that she is the most powerful Senshi of all, I only know that. I stayed in my place, but the formers of etiqutte that has been etched to my mind by my mother pushed itself out, soon I felt myself walking towards the group of excited people. I looked at Uranus and Neptune, they were at the side, I smiled at them and they smiled back. While I was looking, I didn't see the crowd parting, I didn't see that I was in the middle of the red carpet used to indicate the path were Princess Saturn will walk to the table reserved for the Senshis.

I turned and looked at her, and she looked back, I saw her for the first time, Her meduim length black hair was carefully fixed into a single french braid, she was wearing a dark, sleek evening gown, but the thing that really made me stare is her beautiful purple eyes, looking at me, twinkling with joy. She was of meduim hieght and I bieng tall looked on. She walked straight at me and whispered "Hello". I didn't say anything, I just stepped from the path. That was the first time I saw her, thinking about it, that simple "Hello" was one of the most unforgettable words in my life. It was such a simple word, but the mouth who uthered it was far from simple, she was my very first friend...

All dinner I sat alone. All the mindless chatter were provided by the inner senshis, without them, our table would be devoid of sound. Sometimes, Uranus or Neptune would utter a word to each other, but most of the times they were quiet. As for I, as usual I was sitting quietly, poking my food and sometimes taking a bite out of it. But the most important thing of all, I kept my eyes away from Saturn, that unfortunate accident still repeated itself in my mind, I may seem such a dumb girl, standing there blocking her way. As for Satrun, she was really fitting in, she was there seated at the middle of our table cheerfully chatting with the Inners, I kept my gaze away from her, but I feel that sometimes, she would glance at me for a second. After the grand cermonies and presentations, the dance begun. I as always, sat alone, no one asking me, no one noticing me.

My eyes wandered through the scene, Princess Serenity, was, as always with Price Endymion. I stared at them, feeling my anger surge, I like Endymion, no, more than that, I loved him. But he would never like me, or even see me, I was a shadow to him, an invisible shadow. Abruptly I tore my eyes away from them, the feelings that I had will always be my secret, the mask of a silent, emotionless Pluto will be the one who will always be remembered.

Next I saw the other Inners, dancing in a tight group, with thier respective dates with them. Then Uranus and Neptune, as always together dancing. I stood up abruptly, I won't even dare to look at Saturn, she might already have danced with a dozen men. Slowly, I went for the door, my place is not here, my prison, my haven, will always be the gate.

Suddenly, I heard a voice, a familiar voice, a voice that I dreaded, "Where are you going?" it asked. I dare not turn around, but the voice manifested to her, Saturn. Thinking, that I didn't hear her, she asked again "Where are you going?". I wanted to lie, I wanted to lie so much, but those eyes showed innocence, an innocence that I long have lost since I left Pluto, since I left my life.

Slowly, without taking my eyes off hers, I said bitterly "I don't have a place here, I'll just go back to my room." not saying anything about the gates. Saturn look at me with grave eyes, "at your room or the gates?". She waited, silence. "you're the senshi of time aren't you?" she asked. I couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything she knows the truth and I can't argue.. 

After a minute or two of silence, she said softly, her voice rising with anger,"I'm the senshi of death you know," she laughed bitterly, "I'm the one whose supposed to be ashamed of her job. I'm the one who has the power to kill a whole civilization. I'm the apocalypse for God's sake. I'm the one who would spell the end of a planet. And what, your job is more degrading than mine? Is it?" I looked back, she was right but can't say anything, I just needed to get out, I just ran out of the ballroom, out of the truth.

Crying, I huddled in my room, I had no power of concentration, or whatever to even change to a senshi so I stayed in my room and locked the door, and even though I had the emotions, I would never go to the gates anyway, the rare ocassions when I actually leave it where treasured memories, no matter how bitter, I wasn't ready to go back to the gate yet, not yet.

A knock, I looked up, facing the mirror, I saw that I was a mess, my hair was tangled and my make up has long since smeared. Whoever that was I wouldn't even open the door, not even to Queen Serenity herself. To the door, I said "Go away, whoever you are." A pause, no footsteps, no sigh, I looked on. "It's... Saturn, I've come to say... sorry" she rambled, her voice soft. 

I didn't hear her, my mind just registered that the somebody who knocked the door was still there. Irrintatingly I barked, "Didn't you hear me? I said go away." Another pause, then a voice, stronger, surer, louder than before pierced the silence, "It's Saturn and I've come to say sorry."

This time I heard her, I knew that she was coming to say sorry, but it wasn't her fault, my own stupid thoughts is the culprit. I wanted to open the door, and spill out the truth, but guilty conscience refrained me. 

Silence, agonizing silence, in the short time that I was allowed to guard the gates I had already learned how to dread silence. But somewhere in my mind, I know that the real silence is myself, but I have never made it the truth, I buried that little part of me with worries, problems, but never solutions. I had denied my own reality.

The silence dragged on, finally before I become crazy, I stood up slowly clutching my transformation pen, I changed to a seishi. As my hands cradled the now familiar staff, I felt the sense of protection, imprisonment, foreboding, happiness, a complete mixture of emotions that realty itself can't mix, but someone can, I can, I am. slowly, I walked to the door. Opening it, I saw a smiling Saturn, already a seishi. I looked at her oddly. She just smiled at me saying "Let's go to the gates." I didn't smile back, seriously, I nodded to the direction of the gate. Saturn didn't falter, her smile turned on, and as she followed me to another dimension, a place that she never had been to, her smile grew brighter, engulfing two diminshing figures in a bright light.

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Standard Disclaimers : I certainly do not own _Sailormoon_ and I assure you huys that I am not making any money out of this fic. I made this for pure entertainment.

Author's Notes:

Yeah, finised with Chapter 1, if I recieve many good reviews, I may even continue this fic! So reviews are welcome. And if you have anything else to say to me personally, e-mail me in [shunkaku_13@yahoo.com][1]okay?

   [1]: mailto:shunkaku_13@yahoo.com



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